scholarly journals Interactions and developmental effects of mutations in the Broad-Complex of Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetics ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-259
Author(s):  
I Kiss ◽  
A H Beaton ◽  
J Tardiff ◽  
D Fristrom ◽  
J W Fristrom
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Genetic Locus ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Imaginal Discs ◽  
Functional Domains ◽  
Developmental Processes ◽  
The Third ◽  
Developmental Effects ◽  
Broad Complex

Abstract The 2B5 region on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster forms an early ecdysone puff at the end of the third larval instar. The region contains a complex genetic locus, the Broad-Complex (BR-C) composed of four groups of fully complementing (br, rbp, l(1)2Bc, and l(1)2Bd) alleles, and classes of noncomplementing (npr 1) and partially noncomplementing l(1)2Bab alleles. BR-C mutants prevent metamorphosis, including the morphogenesis of imaginal discs. Results are presented that indicate that the BR-C contains two major functional domains. One, the br domain is primarily, if not exclusively, involved in the elongation and eversion of appendages by imaginal discs. The second, the l(1)2Bc domain, is primarily involved in the fusion of discs to form a continuous adult epidermis. Nonetheless, the two domains may encode products with related functions because in some situations mutants in both domains appear to affect similar developmental processes.

Interaction of the Stubble-stubbloid locus and the Broad-complex of Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetics ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-464
Author(s):  
A H Beaton ◽  
I Kiss ◽  
D Fristrom ◽  
J W Fristrom
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Imaginal Disc ◽  
Genetic Locus ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
The Third ◽  
Positive Regulator ◽  
Broad Complex

Abstract The 2B5 region on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster forms an early ecdysone puff at the end of the third instar. The region is coextensive with a complex genetic locus, the Broad-Complex (BR-C). The BR-C is a regulatory gene that contains two major functional domains, the br domain and the l(1)2Bc domain. BR-C mutants prevent metamorphosis, including morphogenesis of imaginal discs; br mutants prevent elongation and eversion of appendages and l(1)2Bc mutants prevent fusion of the discs. The Stubble-stubbloid (Sb-sbd) locus at 89B9-10 is best known for the effects of its mutants on bristle structure. Mutants of the BR-C and the Sb-sbd locus interact to produce severe malformation of appendages. Viable heteroallelic and homoallelic combinations of Sb-sbd mutants, including loss-of-function mutants, affect the elongation of imaginal disc appendages. Thus, the Sb-sbd+ product is essential for normal appendage elongation. Sb-sbd mutants, however, do not affect eversion or fusion of discs. Correspondingly, only BR-C mutants deficient in br function interact with Sb-sbd mutants. The interaction occurs in deficiency heterozygotes using single, wild-type doses of the BR-C, of the Sb-sbd locus, or of both loci. These last results are formally consistent with the possibility that the BR-C acts as a positive regulator of the Sb-sbd locus. The data do not exclude other possible nonregulatory interactions between the two loci, e.g., interactions between the products of both genes.

The Post-embryonic Development of the Tracheal System in Drosophila melanogaster

1957 ◽  
Vol s3-98 (41) ◽  
pp. 123-150
Author(s):  
JOAN M. WHITTEN
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Pupal Stage ◽  
Tracheal System ◽  
True Nature ◽  
The Third ◽  
Air Sacs ◽  
Abdominal Region ◽  
Pupal Cuticle

The fate of the tracheal system is traced from the first larval instar to the adult stage. The basic larval pattern conforms to that shown for other Diptera Cyclorrhapha (Whitten, 1955), and is identical in all three instars. According to previous accounts the adult system directly replaces the larval: the larval system is partly shed, partly histolysed, and the adult system arises from imaginal cell clusters independently of the preceding larval system. In contrast, it is shown here that in the cephalic, thoracic, and anterior abdominal region there is a definite continuity in the tracheal system, from larval, through pupal to the adult stage, whereas in the posterior abdominal region the larval system is histolysed, and the adult system is independent of it in origin. Moreover, in the pupal stage this region is tracheated by tracheae arising from the anterior abdominal region and belonging to a distinct pupal system. Moulting of the tracheal linings is complete at the first and second larval ecdyses, but incomplete at the third larval-pupal and pupal-adult ecdyses. In consequence, in both pupal and adult systems there are tracheae which are secreted around preexisting tracheae, others formed as new ‘branch’ tracheae, and those which have been carried over from the previous instar. In the adult the newly formed tracheae of the posterior abdominal region fall into a fourth category. Most of the adult thoracic air sacs correspond to new ‘branch’ tracheae of other instars. The pre-pupal moult and instar are discussed with reference to the tracheal system and tentative suggestions are made concerning the true nature of the pre-pupal cuticle. There is no pre-pupal tracheal system. Events traced for Drosophila would seem to be general for Cyclorrhapha, both Acalypterae and Calypterae. The separate fates of the anterior and posterior abdom inal systems, in contrast with the straightforward development in Dipterc Nematocera, would appear to mark a distinct step in the evolution of the system in Diptera.

scholarly journals Studies of esterase 6 in Drosophila melanogaster: XIV. Variation of esterase 6 levels controlled by unlinked genes in natural populations

1984 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Tepper ◽  
Anne L. Terry ◽  
James E. Holmes ◽  
Rollin C. Richmond
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Structural Gene ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Regulatory Locus ◽  
The Third ◽  
Esterase 6 ◽  
Activity Modifiers

SUMMARYThe esterase 6 (Est-6) locus in Drosophila melanogaster is located on the third chromosome and is the structural gene for a carboxylesterase (E.C.3.1.1.1) and is polymorphic for two major electromorphs (slow and fast). Isogenic lines containing X chromosomes extracted from natural populations and substituted into a common genetic background were used to detect unlinked factors that affect the activity of the Est-6 locus. Twofold activity differences of esterase 6 (EST 6) were found among males from these derived lines, which differ only in their X chromosome. These unlinked activity modifiers identify possible regulatory elements. Immunoelectrophoresis was used to estimate quantitatively the levels of specific cross-reacting material in the derived lines. The results show that the variation in activity is due to differences in the amount of EST 6 present. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that there is at least one locus on the X chromosome that regulates the synthesis of EST 6 and that this regulatory locus may be polymorphic in natural populations.

scholarly journals Experimental modification of the dominance relations of a melanotic tumour gene in Drosophila melanogaster

1972 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Louise Belt ◽  
Barrie Burnet
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Larval Food ◽  
Dominance Relations ◽  
The Third ◽  
Genotype Environment Interaction ◽  
Tumour Formation ◽  
Food Medium ◽  
Melanotic Tumour

SUMMARYThe melanotic tumour gene tu-C4 in Drosophila melanogaster shows incomplete dominance, together with variable penetrance and expressivity. It is tentatively located in the region of locus 52–53 on the third chromosome. Tumour formation in mutant homozygotes involves a precocious haemocyte transformation leading to the appearance of lamellocytes at the beginning of the third larval instar. These aggregate to form tumour-like masses which subsequently melanize. The process of tumour formation is in broad outline similar to that found in other tumour strains. Melanotic tumour formation is treated as a dichotomous threshold character, assuming an underlying normal distribution of liability relative to a fixed threshold. The expression of the tumour gene can be influenced by the levels of protein, phospholipid, nucleic acid and carbohydrate in the larval food medium, and changes in dominance and penetrance induced by sub-optimal environments deficient in these nutrients are positively correlated. Reinforcement by selection of the dominance relations of tu-C4 was accompanied by correlated changes in penetrance. Conversely, selection for increased penetrance was accompanied by correlated changes in dominance. Dominance and penetrance, it is concluded, are fundamentally related aspects of tumour gene expression. Recruitment of dominance modifiers linked to the tumour gene was excluded by the mating scheme employed, and the observed changes in dominance relations in response to selection were due largely to modifiers located on the second chromosome. Changes in dominance relations produced by selection could be significantly reinforced, or reversed, by environmental factors and consequently show a substantial genotype – environment interaction effect. These facts are relevant to current theories of dominance evolution.

scholarly journals Drosophila Med6 Is Required for Elevated Expression of a Large but Distinct Set of Developmentally Regulated Genes

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5242-5255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byung Soo Gim ◽  
Jin Mo Park ◽  
Jeong Ho Yoon ◽  
Changwon Kang ◽  
Young-Joon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Larval Instar ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
The Third ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Elevated Expression

ABSTRACT Mediator is the evolutionarily conserved coactivator required for the integration and recruitment of diverse regulatory signals to basal transcription machinery. To elucidate the functions of metazoan Mediator, we isolated Drosophila melanogaster Med6mutants. dMed6 is essential for viability and/or proliferation of most cells. dMed6 mutants failed to pupate and died in the third larval instar with severe proliferation defects in imaginal discs and other larval mitotic cells. cDNA microarray, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and in situ expression analyses of developmentally regulated genes indMed6 mutants showed that transcriptional activation of many, but not all, genes was affected. Among the genes found to be affected were some that play a role in cell proliferation and metabolism. Therefore, dMed6 is required in most cells for transcriptional regulation of many genes important for diverse aspects of Drosophila development.

Modification of the Drosophila heterochromatic mutation brownDominant by linkage alterations.

Genetics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
P B Talbert ◽  
C D LeCiel ◽  
S Henikoff
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Genetic Locus ◽  
Special Property ◽  
Chromosome Rearrangements ◽  
Chromosome 3 ◽  
Heterochromatin Formation ◽  
Chromosome Arm ◽  
Translocation Breakpoints

Abstract The variegating mutation brownDominant (bwD) of Drosophila melanogaster is associated with an insertion of heterochromatin into chromosome arm 2R at 59E, the site of the bw gene. Mutagenesis produced 150 dominant suppressors of bwD variegation. These fall into two classes: unlinked suppressors, which also suppress other variegating mutations; and linked chromosome rearrangements, which suppress only bwD. Some rearrangements are broken at 59E, and so might directly interfere with variegation caused by the heterochromatic insertion at that site. However, most rearrangements are translocations broken proximal to bw within the 52D-57D region of 2R. Translocation breakpoints on the X chromosome are scattered throughout the X euchromatin, while those on chromosome 3 are confined to the tips. This suggests that a special property of the X chromosome suppresses bwD variegation, as does a distal autosomal location. Conversely, two enhancers of bwD are caused by translocations from the same part of 2R to proximal heterochromatin, bringing the bwD heterochromatic insertion close to the chromocenter with which it strongly associates. These results support the notion that heterochromatin formation at a genetic locus depends on its location within the nucleus.

scholarly journals Localized epigenetic silencing of a damage-activated WNT enhancer limits regeneration in mature Drosophila imaginal discs

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin E Harris ◽  
Linda Setiawan ◽  
Josh Saul ◽  
Iswar K Hariharan
Keyword(s):  
Larval Instar ◽  
Cellular Responses ◽  
Imaginal Discs ◽  
Epigenetic Silencing ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
The Third ◽  
Multiple Genes ◽  
Gene Functions

Many organisms lose the capacity to regenerate damaged tissues as they mature. Damaged Drosophila imaginal discs regenerate efficiently early in the third larval instar (L3) but progressively lose this ability. This correlates with reduced damage-responsive expression of multiple genes, including the WNT genes wingless (wg) and Wnt6. We demonstrate that damage-responsive expression of both genes requires a bipartite enhancer whose activity declines during L3. Within this enhancer, a damage-responsive module stays active throughout L3, while an adjacent silencing element nucleates increasing levels of epigenetic silencing restricted to this enhancer. Cas9-mediated deletion of the silencing element alleviates WNT repression, but is, in itself, insufficient to promote regeneration. However, directing Myc expression to the blastema overcomes repression of multiple genes, including wg, and restores cellular responses necessary for regeneration. Localized epigenetic silencing of damage-responsive enhancers can therefore restrict regenerative capacity in maturing organisms without compromising gene functions regulated by developmental signals.

Requirements for autosomal gene activity during precellular stages of Drosophila melanogaster

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.T. Merrill ◽  
D. Sweeton ◽  
E. Wieschaus
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Gene Activity ◽  
Autosomal Gene ◽  
The Third ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Morphological Defects ◽  
Zygotic Gene

To identify early requirements for zygotic gene activity in Drosophila, we used compound autosomes and autosome-Y translocations to generate embryos deficient for cytologically defined portions of the genome. No obvious gross morphological defects were observed in any deficiency class until the beginning of cycle 14. Only seven autosomal regions were identified with discrete effects visible prior to the onset of gastrulation. These regions include genes with locus-specific effects on the clearing of the cortical cytoplasm during early cycle 14, (22AB), the initiation of the slow and fast phases of cellularization (26BF and 40AC, respectively), the apical-basal distribution of nuclei during cycle 14 (71C-75C) and the closing off of furrow canals during cellularization (100AC). The distal tip of the third chromosome also contains two loci (99DF and 100AC) whose deletion causes multiple nuclei to be cellularized into single cells, a phenotype similar to that produced in embryos totally lacking the X-chromosome.

MALELESS, A RECESSIVE AUTOSOMAL MUTANT OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER THAT SPECIFICALLY KILLS MALE ZYGOTES

Genetics ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-141
Author(s):  
Akihiro Fukunaga ◽  
Atsumi Tanaka ◽  
Kugao Oishi
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Lethal Gene ◽  
Homozygous Condition ◽  
The Third ◽  
Male Specific Lethal ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
Transforming Genes

ABSTRACT A second chromosome male-specific lethal gene, maleless (mle), in D. melanogaster is described. It kills males but not females in homozygous condition, regardless of whether female parents are heterozygous or homozygous for mle. Many, if not most, homozygous males survive up to the third instar larval stage, but cannot pupate and die eventually as larvae. No interactions with sex-transforming genes, tra and dsx, were observed. It is proposed that mle interacts with a gene(s) on the X chromosome, which is not dosage compensated.

scholarly journals Mutagenic and recombinogenic assessment of widely used pesticides on Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-212
Author(s):  
R. Sarıkaya ◽  
B. Koçak Memmi ◽  
S. Sümer ◽  
F. Erkoç
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Somatic Cells ◽  
Imaginal Discs ◽  
Spot Test ◽  
Genotoxic Effects ◽  
Mutagenic Potential ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
The Third ◽  
Drosophila Wing ◽  
High Doses

The mutagenic potential of selected widely used pesticides: p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); fenitrothion; propoxur; deltamethrin, bifenthrin; imidacloprid and thiametoxam was assessed using the wing spot test. Third-instar larvae of standard Drosophila melanogaster cross (ST), trans-heterozygous for the third chromosome recessive markers, multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr3) were chronically exposed to test compounds. Feeding ended with pupation of the surviving larvae. Genetic changes induced in somatic cells of the wing’s imaginal discs, mutant spots observed in marker-heterozygous (MH) and balancer-heterozygous (BH) flies were compared using the wing spot test, to estimate the genotoxic effects of these pesticides. In conclusion, exposure to 30 mg/mL deltamethrin, 40 mg/mL imidacloprid, 100 µg/mL DDT showed mutagenic and recombinagenic effects in the Drosophila wing spot test. In addition the results of chronic treatments performed at high doses showed mutagenic and recombinagenic effects in both genotypes

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